JOHN BOLTON MUST DIE!
by iHeartFreakyCallbackBoyz
Summary: Gabriella was invisible until she moved to East High. With the help of 3 revenge-driven girls, she plotted to break hotshot John Bolton's heart for playing girls. But she never planned on falling for his brother, Troy, along the way... BASED ON JTMD!
1. Prologue

**Hi! So this is my first story and I'm really excited and really nervous at the same time. I was going to wait to post this until I had more chapters written, but I decided it couldn't wait anymore. So this is the prologue, and there might be a second part to it too. Not sure yet. I'm still in the middle of planning out this story, and I want to finish that before I start writing anymore chapters, so it might be 2 or 3 weeks before I update this again. Just letting you know.**

**This story is based off of the movie John Tucker Must Die. If you haven't seen it yet, what's wrong with you?! Go check it out now, please! I'm warning you now, this might not be what you expect out of a story based off of John Tucker Must Die if you have seen the movie. Troy is not the John Tucker of this story. I just couldn't turn my Troy into that! Sorry, but that's just not the way I see it. It might not make sense now, but you'll see how it all plays out. Like I said, this story is_ based_ off of the movie, so some of it might be extremely different and some of it might be extremely similar. It varies. Also letting you know, the chapters will all probably be different lengths. It depends on how much I feel needs to go into each chapter. Some might be around 10,000 words, and others might be around 3000. I know that might get annoying, but I'm going to do what I feel is best for the story. I hope you all stick with it anyway.**

**Here's a character list of who's supposed to be who for those of you who have seen the movie:**

**John Tucker- John Bolton (obvious, huh?) This character is played by Chace Crawford because I personally think he looks a lot like Zac Efron. At least enough to believe their brothers anyway. If this really bothers you though, you can keep John as Jesse Metcalfe. It doesn't really matter. But the descriptions might not always fit him if you decide to do that. **

**Kate Spencer- Gabriella Montez**

**Carrie- Taylor McKessie**

**Heather- Sharpay Evans**

**Beth- Kelsi Neilson (I know this character is nothing like Kelsi, but just go with me on this one ok?)**

**Scott Tucker (John's Brother)- Troy Bolton (you'll see.....)**

**Mrs. Spencer (Kate's mom)- Eva Mendez (I think she can pull off the same vibe as the mom in the movie, so yeah, it fits)**

**Tommy (John's best friend)- the same guy**

**Chad is Chad. He has the same role that he has in HSM3, Troy's best friend. I know there isn't really one in John Tucker Must Die, but there is in this story**

**So now that I'm done with this gimongous author's note, here it is! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from High School Musical or John Tucker Must Die. Wish I did though......**

**Summary: Gabriella Montez was invisible.... until she moved to East High. With the help of 3 revenge-driven girls, she plotted to break hotshot John Bolton's heart for playing girls. But she never planned on falling for his brother, Troy, along the way....**

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Gabriella Montez was invisible. She couldn't help it, it was just some sort of twisted curse life had placed upon her. She began to realize it in the seventh grade after moving to yet another school. Her third period gym class had been picking teams for dodge ball. She had been new for about a week now and really wasn't expecting to be picked right away considering she hadn't made any real friends yet. But as the selection pile dwindled further and further, her confidence plummeted in the same direction. And when the captains completely forgot to pick her and the teacher had to remind them there was still one person left, Gabriella knew she would never fit in.

From then on, Gabriella realized that her life pretty much sucked ass.

When it came to love, yeah, that pretty much sucked too. It's not that she didn't try. She always dressed nicely and put a little makeup on in the mornings. You would think with her long flowing curls and fit body boys would pay more attention, but no. Guys didn't seem to notice at all… just like everyone else in her life.

And to make things worse, there was another thing working against her too. Her mother, Eva Montez. You see, Gabriella's mom wasn't like most mothers. She didn't bake homemade chocolate chip cookies or volunteer for the PTA. She hated to admit it, but there was no denying that she had a smokin' hot mom. Once, when they had just moved into a new neighborhood, a boy around her age had come by the house to bring them welcome brownies his mother had baked fresh. The second he Gabriella's mother came down the stairs in a tube top and short shorts, he yanked the plate right out of her hands and practically dashed across the room to hand them top her mother instead. She swore she had never seen a teenage boy drool so much in her entire life.

Due to her mother's flawless face and, um, other assets, she never had any trouble landing men. She just had trouble keeping them. Where as guys didn't pay any attention to Gabriella, they would hoard after Eva. She'd dated every type of guy imaginable, from the burnt out alcoholic cowboy to the stern Russian trainer. But it was always just another hump and dump. She used to keep track of them all but soon there was no point, because they would all inevitably wind up doing the same thing. They would start off claiming they were going to be her new father, but after a few more rolls in the hay they would skip out on Eva and move on to the next thing they saw with big breasts. Gabriella was never surprised or hurt when they would leave. It was always the same.

The only thing that upset Gabriella when a new Skip would leave was the state they left her heartbroken mother in. Fortunately, Eva had formed a very mature way of dealing with a broken heart: gorging out on chocolate frosting. After a quick therapy session or two, okay, maybe three…Eva would break through her empty shell and decide a change was needed to fully get over Skip. So whenever that need for a change would arise, they would pack up all their belongings and flee to the next town in New Mexico.

In this way, Gabriella told herself that being invisible wasn't a bad thing. Without any friends, she never had to deal with the whole awkward goodbye thing. Plus, it meant she would never have to miss anybody or get hurt when friendships were lost. But deep down, Gabriella knew this was just a façade so that it would never get to her that no one wanted her. If she faced it with that attitude, she wouldn't have to admit the truth to herself. That was what would really hurt.

After the latest heart break from the newest Skip, Gabriella found herself seated on the bleachers of the crowded gym of East High in the middle of Albuquerque watching the Friday night basketball game. In the past two months, Gabriella had fully settled into her new home. All the boxes were unpacked, she had caught up with the school curriculum, and had even found herself a job as a waitress in a nice restaurant. She had also gone from being invisible to being somewhat noticed, even if it was just to ask her to move or to pass a note on to the next person. But that counted, right?

And in Gabriella's short time at East High, she had observed the biggest Skip ever known to women. She had met HIM. The one slam dunking the ball right now. The one who had all the girls swooning after him and all the guys lining up to be his best friend to gain some major rep points. The one who had those dreamy eyes and the sculpted body that was somewhere in between an Abercrombie model and a Greek god.

Who was this perfect specimen? John Bolton. The J-dog, the man, East High's king. As he ran up and down the court, playing the sport he was best at with perfected and flawless skill, there was no way Gabriella could have foreseen the upcoming events of the next few months. Neither she, nor John, or anybody else at East High knew what was coming for them.

Yes, this story was about John Bolton. And what he helped Gabriella find. It was about what and who he made her realize were really important. She helped him reevaluate his life. And in turn, he helped her gain confidence. Because of him, she had found friendship, happiness, and love.

But there was someone else too. Someone even more unexpected than John. Someone who would completely change her life forever.

He was the one who made her see that no one is ever really invisible.

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**Review? Favorite? Subscribe? PM?............ Please?**

**Peace and Love, **

**FreakyMathGirl =)**


	2. Prologue 2: Meet the Bolton Brothers

**So after a really tough week, I finally found time to write this. Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed/favorited/subscribed. It really made me feel a lot better. I'm hoping to get an even better response with this chapter. Reviews would really be appreciated! They would really cheer me up!**

**I'm not supposed to use the computer right now, but I sneak on and write/plan whenever I can. So please be patient. I'll try to update at least once a week. I was gunna update this yesterday, but then all of my work got lost. So I hope it's still as good today**

**To those of you who don't like prologues, it's really important that you read this part anyway. It's more like a chapter anyway if that makes any sense. But this is just really important to read because it explains their backgrounds and is important for later on in the story to understand why they react or behave the way they do. So please read it anyway! **

**I'd like to dedicat this chapter to Naley-Troyella freak for being my first reviewer ever! Also to PerfectxSweetheartx for reminding me not to get discouraged when the reviews aren't so high. No one ever starts at the top right away!**

**And a special thanks to one of my best friends. She has listened to me go on and on about this story, given me advice and not killed me when I get annoying. Thanks so much! You know who you are and I love you!!!!**

**Once, again enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical or John Tucker Must Die.**

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John Bolton was THE MAN. He was the basketball man, the popular man, the manly man. But most of all, he was a ladies' man. East High had never experienced anything like the forces of John Bolton. He knew how to work pretty much any type of girl. He could sweet talk them until they went weak in the knees and stare into their eyes with his dreamy orbs until the turned into a speechless puddle of mush. Once he decided he wanted a girl, he got her. Women were powerless to him, and they would almost always do anything he wanted. There was never a doubt that it would happen.

It had all started back in the eighth grade. John and his family had moved to Albuquerque in the middle of the hottest summer he could ever remember. They had moved from Scottsdale, Arizona, to help take care of his grandmother after their grandfather had died. His mother was the only child in her family, so therefore there was no one else available to accommodate the elderly woman. She was still able to live on her own, but she did need help with things like buying groceries and commuting to doctor appointments. So his parents had found a four bedroom 3800 square foot brick house complete with three full bathrooms and hardwood floors. It may have been a little pricey, but Jack Bolton made enough money as a lawyer and Lucille Bolton also worked as a nurse. They both had to quit their jobs with the move, but with Jack's experience and impressive credentials, he managed to land an even better job in Albuquerque. So much so that Lucille didn't even need to go back to work at all. Needless to say, they were pretty well off.

While John was upset about leaving behind some of his closest friends, he was also excited for a fresh start. Back in Scottsdale, John hadn't exactly been the most popular guy. He had been of average size, a little skinny, with metal braces that threw off his smile. But what really made John the laughing stock of the school was _the incident. _

In the fourth grade, John still had a little problem. It wouldn't happen often, but sometimes if he drank too much before bed, he would wake up in the morning to find the sheets soaking wet. His mother would assure him over and over again that it wasn't a big deal and that lots of kids his age had this problem. It still embarrassed him to no end though and he would never admit it to anybody. He was so petrified it would happen that when friends invited him to spend the night, he would make up some excuse in the fear that he would have an accident while he was sleeping.

One day, after staying up all night with his little brother playing x-box, John chugged four sodas in the hopes that it would keep him awake throughout school. Unfortunately, this didn't work. While Mrs. Clark explained the anatomy of a flower, John drifted to sleep. In his dream, he was peacefully floating in a warm pond. A very warm pond…….. Thirty seconds later he woke up to find that warm pond all over his seat, dripping onto the floor while Kelly Rice screamed, "EEEEWWWW!!!!! JOHN PEED ON MY SHOES!" The boys laughed at him. The girls screamed how disgusting he was. John cried. And the teacher tried to be understanding and sent him to the nurse while a janitor came to pick up the mess. He left school and came back the next day to find that the whole fourth grade knew what had gone down in room 202. From then on, John was known as the bed wetter. It was the most traumatizing experience of his life. People continued to make fun of him for it until the Boltons left the town.

So when they made the move to Albuquerque, John swore things would be different. He would make up for his past, and never let anything like that bring him down again. He would be popular and make tons of new friends. He just had to. He could never go through that hell again.

Fortunately, that summer John had an unexpected growth spurt. He grew taller and his features had become more defined into those of a young man to replace the boyish roundness that used to be there. And to benefit him even more, the long days of basketball and weight lifting with his little brother helped him to gain much appreciated muscle mass. His braces had been removed to reveal a perfect smile. His body had also gone from the awkward appearance most thirteen-year-old boys had to tall, dark, and handsome.

Thanks to his recently acquired physique and the newfound confidence that came along with it, John automatically fit in at his new school. At basketball tryouts he made friends with the coolest guys on the team. They showed him the ropes around the school and soon enough everyone wanted to know everything about the new guy. Who was he? Where did he live? Where did he come from? What does he like? _Who _does he like? Did he have a girlfriend? And most important, how did he get such huge muscles?

John loved this. His life was finally falling into place. He did what he always vowed he would do. Things were finally turning around for him and no one was going to take it from him. He deserved this. He had earned it after all those years of ridicule. He was finally the king. And, yes, he was damn right cocky about it.

John remained at the top of the food chain throughout high school. He had a game plan for holding onto his status, and he worked hard to make sure it would never slip through his fingers. John knew how to work all of his followers. You give them just enough, but hold a little back. Give them what they want, but leave them wanting more. During a game, he would show off a little with some fancy dribbling, but then completely blow them away with a perfect slam dunk. While he conversed with others, he would open up just a little bit but then walk away as if he needed someone else to entertain him. It always kept people fighting for his attention. On the first couple of dates, he would start off with gentle kisses. But as the relationship progressed, he would flabbergast them with his sexual skills. And they always came back for more.

His time at East High had been the best of his life. He made starting varsity in his freshman year and earned the title of captain in his junior year. He helped lead his team to back to back champions, which only helped his popularity in a town that was all about basketball. Not to mention, all of his best friends were on the team along with his little brother. He might not have been the first person he would choose to hang out with; in fact, they hardly ever spent any time together. But it was still cool to have someone at home if he wanted to shoot some hoops around or play some video games. On top of this, he went to all of the best parties, got pretty good grades, and was the pride and joy of his parents. He always won homecoming king and snatched up prom king his junior year. Things were absolutely phenomenal for John Bolton.

But the best part? Definitely the girls. John dated the hottest girls from not only East High, but the surrounding schools as well. John had had so many girlfriends he had lost count. There was a rumor that he had lost it to the homecoming queen and the prom queen at the same time. And, yes, it was entirely true. During his freshman year to be exact. From then on, John got every girl he wanted. And, usually, he had a couple of girlfriends at the same time.

Since, John Bolton was John Bolton, he had a game plan for this as well. Here were the rules: The school was divided into cliques, so if he wanted more than one girlfriend at a time, they could never be from the same social circle. This way, the girls would never find out about each other because there was no way in hell they would ever interact. But to be extra safe, he would tell them that his dad wouldn't let him have a girlfriend during the school year because he needed to focus on basketball. So he made them promise that they would keep it a secret. And without the title of girlfriend, there wouldn't really be anything exclusive between them and he could get out of the relationship easier. It was every guy's dream and every girl's heartbreak.

Girls knew how John Bolton worked. They knew he was a player and a heartbreaker, but they still came crawling to him anyway. To date John Tucker meant that you were top choice. You were better than everyone else. After all, he was the hottest guy in school, perhaps the hottest guy they had ever seen.

This was why in November of his senior year, John found himself dating three of the alpha females in the school. They were all unbelievably hot and popular in their own way. And they would all do anything for him. John had finally become everything he had wanted to be.

Ever since he moved to Albuquerque, no one had made him feel inferior. He didn't feel the extreme pressure to impress anybody and no one intimidated him. How could they when he was the one who was running things? He swore that no one would make him feel like that dorky little seventh grader ever again. No one would ever take what was his away from him.

That was until she came along.

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When we look up in the sky, we either see the sun or the moon. The sun shines the brightest, while the moon just reflects its light during the night. The sun keeps everything living. It is the food source of the plants that all animals eat. It gives us light and warmth. But while people just notice the sun, they often don't realize how important and special the moon is too. Without the moon, the gravitational pull on earth would be thrown out of whack. It stabilizes the Earth's rotation. While the sun may contribute a little to the tidal waves, they are due mostly because of the moon. These tidal waves slow down the Earth and give us our twenty-four hour days. But still, people don't realize that the moon is just as important and special as the sun.

Fucking story of Troy Bolton's life.

As Troy lied in the hammock in his backyard, looking up at the night sky, he could see the poor moon. The moon that no one really bothered to pay any attention to. The moon that had to share the sky with all the other stars up there, while the sun had the sky all to itself. People were awake during the day while the sun was up, but slept all through the time that the moon had in the sky. In Troy's eyes, that was definitely not fair. The moon deserved to be special too. But let's face it, the moon would just never get as much attention as the sun.

Troy could definitely relate to the moon. All his life, he had been outshined. You see, in the world of Albuquerque, New Mexico, John Bolton was the sun that everything revolved around. He was always just one step ahead of Troy. John got all the girls, he had more friends, and he was the captain of the basketball team. His parents were so proud of John who got good grades and led the Wildcats to the championships every year. Everyone knew John. Everyone wanted to be his friend. But what about Troy?

Troy was left in the shadow. No matter what he did, it never measured up to John. He got better grades, but nobody cared about that. According to everyone else, John was smart too; he was just more focused on basketball. It never occurred to anyone that Troy practiced just as much as John. He had made starting varsity his freshman year too, but nobody noticed that. They told him, "Good job. Your brother did that too. He's one heck of a player, that John!" Couldn't he ever get a compliment that didn't involve John as well? No one realized that Troy was just as good as John. Whenever they played one-on-one, Troy usually won half the time. But his dad would often point out that John was just having an off day whenever that would happen. It annoyed Troy to no end.

Teachers would call him by John's name. His coaches told him to be more like John. People would come up to him and say, "Hey aren't you John Bolton's brother? You're the other Bolton aren't you?" Translated that meant, "Oh, you're the Bolton who's not as good as John."

The worst was when a hot girl would approach him to talk and then later ask if they could have John's number. It wasn't like no girls liked Troy, but not nearly as many as liked John. Why would a girl want him when there was a better version of him running around somewhere else in the school? It didn't make any sense though. People may not have found Troy as attractive as his brother, but he was still better looking than a lot of the other guys in the school. He liked to think that he treated women better than John ever did. But somehow, John still managed to get all the girls while Troy only got some of them.

Half the time, John didn't even really bother with Troy. They only spent time together whenever John was really bored, or wanted to practice basketball when no one else was around. It was as if John was too cool to hang out with his little brother who wasn't as popular. But no one was as popular as John Bolton.

Whenever Troy wanted something, it seemed like John always snatched it out of his grip. When they had first moved to Albuquerque, Troy had really wanted the bedroom next to the upstairs bathroom because it was already painted in a really cool design. But after a lot of fighting, it was John who was awarded the room. When they had gotten a PS2 for Christmas when Troy was in eighth grade and John was a freshman, they had argued and argued over whose room it would go in. Of course, it wound up in John's. Even when they were little, John would eat the last cookie, or get the front seat, or play with a new action figure first.

Troy had also really hoped that he might get to be a co-captain for the basketball team this year. John had been last year when he was a junior and now Troy hoped he would get his chance as a junior too. He had practiced so hard, every day during the summer. But once again, John got the title and Troy got nothing. For John's birthday, his parents would throw a huge bash every year while Troy just got a present of his choice. Troy never got even treatment with John and it really sucked ass.

But then again, Troy should have expected this. Ever since they moved here, John always got his way. No one ever stood a chance against John Bolton when he wanted something. What was the point in fighting for it when it was a given that John would always get it?

So, yea, Troy was definitely the moon in this town. He would never shine as bright as John. No one would ever think he was as special or put him first. And he would never win. He could never beat John.

That was until she came along.

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**Please review! I really want to know how all of you who read feel about this story. And if there is any confusion, John and Troy are brothers and no they do not live with their grandmother.**

**Peace and love, **

**FreakyMathGirl**


	3. Three Girlfriends

**My mom was home a lot this week, so I could barely write. Everytime I would get into the swing of things, she would pop up at home! Ugh, it was so annoying!**

**Anyway, I want to address some things before you guys get started. I'm sorry if I've confused anyone. Here's the deal though. These characters are from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay..... they're all from hsm. When I listed off who was who in my first prologue, it was just a guide for those of you who have seen JTMD to understand who would be who in the movie. I hope that makes sense. The only characters who are not from hsm are John, cuz he's obviously not in hsm, Gabriella's mother, who is not the same as in hsm, and Tommy. Other characters could possibly be added, but I'm not sure yet. I hope that cleared some things up. Please let me know if you're still confused.**

**Also, I thought it might be important to add this as well. Here's a list of what grade each of the characters are in. **

**John, Tommy, Taylor, and Kelsi are seniors. Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, and Chad are juniors. Why? Cuz I'm the author and I say so. Deal with it. =)**

**I really hate the first part of this chapter but love the second part. I feel like I could have done better with the first part, I don't know. To those of you who have seen the movie, I hope you enjoy my little 'deleted scene' at the end. Wink, wink. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical or John Tucker Must Die.**

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When Gabriella applied for this job, they should have put 'this job will fuck up your life' in the job description. But unfortunately, they didn't. So here Gabriella was, driving to the fancy restaurant she worked at, ready to take on her fourth shift ever.

Gabriella was thrilled when she first got the waitressing job. It paid decently for a waitress, and on top of that, it was an expensive restaurant so the tips weren't bad either. It was only about a fifteen minute drive away from her house, so her gas bill probably wouldn't increase by much either. Plus, it gave her a little something extra to do on the weekends. It wasn't like she had any resemblance of a social life at all.

Training had gone by uneventfully, but then her first real shift came last Friday. When she came home from school, she took a nap and asked her mother to wake her up before her date so that she would be ready for her first day. Big mistake. In typical Eva Montez fashion, she got so swept up in the next Skip that she forgot to wake the slumbering Gabriella. Which was why she was stirred awake by her buzzing phone with an incoming call from her angry boss. Not exactly the best way to start out. After sending a not so pleasant text to her irresponsible mother, Gabriella threw on her black uniform and sped off to work. On the way, she got a speeding ticket and upon arriving, she found the place was jam packed and there were no parking spots left. She spent another ten minutes parking across the street and walking through the busy road to finally get to her job.

Gabriella was now a grand total of forty-five minutes late. She prayed to God that she would keep her job after tonight.

Fortunately, she wasn't fired. But she was yelled at in front of the entire kitchen staff that proceeded to laugh at the newbie. She rushed out of the kitchen before she could cry only to be faced with how truly crowded the restaurant was. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the counter and geared up with her notepad and pen, ready to serve the awaiting customers. After stocking up her apron with extra straws and napkins, she swept a quick glance at her tables to see who she would be serving. There was an old man sitting by himself, a stressed looking couple trying to control their kids, John Bolton…….

Wait. What was John Bolton doing here?!

Gabriella, like the rest of the East High population, couldn't help but notice the infamous John Bolton at school. Gabriella hated to admit that, like most girls, the first thing she had noticed about him had been his devastatingly good looks. But after further observation, Gabriella had seen past the sparkling blue eyes and perfectly tousled hair for what he truly was. Yes, he was the total package of killer looks, charm and coyness that could ultimately only lead to one thing: a Skip. John Bolton was the Skip of East High. She had watched the reactions of her classmates whenever he floated through the halls. She had witnessed the clever flirting he orchestrated with copious amounts of girls. And she had scoffed whenever she heard his cocky bragging or saw him show off during a basketball game. This total package had thrown a huge blaring sign with flashing red lights in her face that screamed "STAY AWAY" in bold block letters. She was completely repulsed by anything that had to do with John Bolton. It was players like him that made her life a living hell. But Gabriella didn't worry much about him; it wasn't like she would ever have a chance or that he even noticed her at all. As long as they maintained their distance she was absolutely and perfectly fine. But currently, avoiding John Bolton would result in her ass getting fired. So she sucked it up and strode to his table, trying to maintain the image that he was just another diner and that she was completely calm and in control.

That image went down the stupid drain as soon as she opened her mouth. She stumbled over simple words, "I……. you……… er……….I mean, no?" She mentally cursed herself for blushing and forgetting the English language over this jerk who fucked anything he that was willing to tear off their panties. Just because he was incredibly hot, and buff, and tan, and- Damn, what happened to her control?

He chuckled at her and reached for the hem of her apron. Gabriella's breath hitched in disbelief as he gently began playing with the black fabric in between his practiced fingers. "I'm actually waiting for someone right now, sweetheart. I'll be ready in a little while, if you don't mind," he smoothly let out, looking up at her eyes.

Her brow narrowed in confusion and she swallowed hard, trying to gain back even an ounce of control. She gave a curt nod and walked away, baffled at what had just happened. Had John Bolton really just flirted with her? She let out the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding once she was behind the counter again. Why would he flirt with her of all people? Had she just imagined the entire thing? She looked back out at him to find Taylor McKessie approaching the table. A sudden flush of anger and embarrassment swept over Gabriella's visage. It figures he would flirt with her when he already had a girlfriend. If there had been any doubt in her mind before, this had just proved that John Bolton was a classic, unadulterated Skip.

She watched as John pulled out Taylor's chair for her and gave her a light kiss on the lips. They were leaning close to each other, giving off an intimate couple bond. Taylor was definitely an alpha female at East High. If Gabriella's memory served her correctly, Taylor was president of the school TV station, the honors society, Jr. achievers, 4H club, future film makers of America, big sisters, adopt a shut in, the scholastic decathlon team, yearbook committee, and……. that was it. Taylor was at the top of her senior class with high hopes of getting into Harvard. However, she was far from a nerd. Her over involvement in extracurricular activities made her a huge social bee and her smooth dark skin and fit body had boys flitting after her. She was the perfect combination of beauty and brains. This was precisely why Gabriella was watching her flirt with John Bolton from across the table.

After letting them have some time to themselves, Gabriella finally decided to approach the table so that she could take their orders and hopefully get them out of there all the sooner. But the second she reached the table was the exact moment that John decided to lean in for a kiss, which instigated an intimate make out session. Unsure of what to do and utterly grossed out, Gabriella hurriedly walked back to the counter with a shocked face. Ugh, just what she needed, to watch them swap spit all night.

The next night, Gabriella strolled into the restaurant in a slightly better mood, hoping that tonight would be better than the last. She went into the kitchen to receive some pitchers and came out the door only to see John Bolton for the second night in a row with yet another girl. He had just been there the night before with Taylor, and now he was here with Sharpay Evans at the same table. Unbelievable! He couldn't even take a break for a night. Gabriella didn't understand how it could be so hard to just stick to one girl.

Sharpay was a junior like Gabriella, but she was already named head cheerleader over any senior girl. She was one-hundred and ten pounds of blonde attitude that commanded attention wherever she went. She was loaded considering her parents owned a country club and she had a twin brother whose life was the theatre. And being head cheerleader, well, Sharpay could literally get any boy she wanted, including John Bolton.

They were ending a kiss when Gabriella went to take their order. Before Sharpay could request a dish, John slid the menu out of her delicate hands, "Two green salads, dressing on the side. Salmon for her and lobster for me."

"I love when you do that," Sharpay said in a girly voice, giving him a flirtatious smile.

John inched his chair closer to her's, "And I love doing that."

"I love that you love that I love you doing that," Sharpay giggled. Gabriella had had just about enough puke-enticing cuteness for one night. She hurried to go place the order before she could physically gag and scoffed when she heard John say, "That top looks so hot on you. I bet it's even hotter off of you." Ew, gross. Is that what he passed as a compliment? How Skip-like of him.

Gabriella had gone through the rest of the night watching them feed their dinner to each other, exchanging kisses in between. Well, this was certainly turning out to be a great weekend.

So as Gabriella pulled into a parking space at the restaurant for her Friday night shift, she shook her head trying to release all thoughts of the cheating John Bolton. She was positive that this weekend was sure to be a better one.

How wrong she had been. Because the moment she stepped out from the kitchen, she found John Bolton sitting at the same table again! And this time he wasn't with Sharpay or Taylor. No, he was with an entirely different girl! Gabriella stared at them with her mouth hung open. What the hell? So now he had three girlfriends? What a player! How could no body have notice what the basketball star was scheming? Surely more people had to have seen something, Gabriella couldn't have been the only one. Wouldn't somebody have said something to one of them?

"I've never been here before, babe, so I hope they have good vegetarian," he down-right lied. Typical. Skips usually lied about everything.

Kelsi Neilson's light brown curls bounced as she nodded with a smile and looked down at her menu, searching out a vegan dish. She was all about world peace, animal rights, and eco-friendliness. In fact, she was so passionate about her viewpoints that she had started a teen activist club at East High. Their cause of the moment was Chicks for Chicks. Kelsi was working to improve the lives of helpless little chicks that were slaughtered everyday to become someone's dinner. She couldn't stand by while such an injustice was occurring. You could find the blue posters draped in the halls of the high school that read: Chicks for Chicks, I am NOT a nugget! Gabriella personally thought that she might be just a little bit crazy.

John suddenly stood up, snapping Gabriella out of her thoughts, "Oh my God, they serve veil here! If I wanted to torture animals I would go to a medical lab!" Gabriella rolled her chocolate eyes. This guy would do anything to get laid.

Kelsi gently reached for his hand and he sat back down. He sighed and looked into her blue eyes, "Which of course I would never do, because they torture animals."

Kelsi smirked seductively and leaned in closer to him. Gabriella wasn't sure but it seemed like vegan teen activist was code for easy. "You know, for you I don't have to give up all meat," Kelsi breathily stated before leaning in to kiss John. See, she knew it. That chick may be for chicks, but lord knows she would do anything for this man.

"I don't get it," Gabriella confided in her co-worker Hailey, who was a little ditsy and annoying in Gabriella's opinion. But she also attended East High with her and so she figured she might know something about the infamous John Bolton, "I've seen him come in here with three different girls. They all seem so confident and cool. How could they not know that he's cheating on them?"

"He's a total operator," Hailey replied, while looking out at the couple who couldn't seem to tear apart. "He dates girls from different cliques so that they never actually interact with each other. And then he tells them that his dad won't let him have a girlfriend during basketball season so they'll have to keep it a secret."

It made sense. That's why none of the girls had any idea what was going on. Another quality of a true Skip, he was full of excuses. "Wow, how'd you learn all this stuff?" she asked. That was more information than she had expected out of Hailey.

She turned when she heard the air-headed Hailey let out a small cry. "I don't know, just a guess," Hailey sobbed. Gabriella's brow narrowed in confusion as Hailey attempted to cover her tears with her hand and fled to the bathroom. That was strange. Poor Hailey must have been just another pawn in John's little game. Had he really been with that many girls?

Gabriella rubbed her temples from the headache she could feel approaching. This was certainly not what she had expected when she had walked into her job that night. Interacting with the player was not something she preferred to do.

Little did she know, she was going to be dealing with him a lot more than she had ever expected.

* * *

216……. 217……….. 218…..... 219………..

Ah, here it was. Room 220. Troy looked down at his new schedule to make sure he had the right room. Basketball season had started about two weeks ago, and it was then that Troy realized that he would need to change his free period to fourth period so that he could make the extra practices with the team. He had had chemistry fourth period, but after an appointment with his counselor, it had been switched to seventh in replace of his free period. Troy couldn't have been happier when he found out because it meant he now had another class besides gym and lunch with his best friend since pre-school, Chad Danforth.

After making sure that he indeed had the right classroom, Troy turned the doorknob and stepped into the classroom just as the bell rang. He quickly informed the middle-aged teacher of his transfer who gave him a nod and told him that she was already aware that he would now be in her class. She gave Troy some important papers and worksheets the class had been going over that week, along with the lab they would be performing today and instructed him to take a seat.

Troy scoped out the room for Chad and, sure enough, there he was, already sleeping with a basketball under his arm at the last lab table. It was just like Chad to already be nodding off before class had even really begun. Troy chuckled to himself as he twisted around the other students to reach his lazy friend. He slammed his books down with a hollow _thump _on the table, expecting the loud impact to wake him. It didn't work. Chad had always been a deep sleeper.

A mischievous smile formed on Troy's tan face as an idea popped into his head. In one swift movement, Troy yanked the orange basketball free from the arch of Chad's elbow, causing his balance to falter, and bounced the ball off of his afro-covered head. Chad jolted awake with a loud snort and stumbled from his chair, catching himself on the edge of the black lab table. His disoriented eyes wildly looked around the room in confusion, landing on Troy who was laughing at his friend with a glare. "What the fuck, dude?!" Chad complained, rubbing his head where the ball had made contact.

Troy laughed again at his disgruntled friend and lifted his palms up in surrender. "I was just helping you out, man. You really shouldn't be sleeping in class you know. Wouldn't want to get another detention would you?"

"Fuck off, man. I don't have to let you sit here with me you know. The only reason I'm letting you is cuz my lab partner's sick today," Chad said with a roll of his dark eyes, "And couldn't you have at least woken me up in a nicer way?"

Troy settled into his lab stool and chuckled under his breath, "It's not my fault you could sleep through a train wreck."

"Whatever dude," Chad brushed it off and planted his chin in his palm, paying attention to anything but the teacher as she began explaining the instructions for the lab. Not particularly caring about the lab much either, Troy let the teacher's words drone out and took this time to see who his other classmates were. His blue eyes swept over the rows. Quarterback Alex Bialek was two rows in front of him. Nicole Carter, his ex-girlfriend that he had dated for about a month freshman year, was in the row across from that. Trevor Cross, an anime freak who sometimes wore a cape to school, was sitting in a lab stool as well. Krissy Fair, Jessica Godfrey, Devin Hill, Shiv Shah…….

His eyes abruptly stopped and his heart skipped a beat. Sitting in the front row, all by herself, was a girl he had never seen before. She had smooth olive skin that glistened under the glow of the artificial lighting. Her thin frame was wrapped in tight jeans and a purple v-neck t-shirt that hugged her curves and revealed just a hint of cleavage. Her plump lips were set in concentration as her soft mocha eyes shifted down towards her lab packet, causing her long ebony curls to fall over her high cheekbones. Troy had never seen anything like her.

She was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.

Troy couldn't help his gaze as it traveled her up and down. There were a million thoughts running through his head, all focused on her. Who was she? How had he never seen her before? He watched as she tucked a lock of thick hair behind her ear, completely mesmerized. Even with all her beauty, she still seemed to have an innocent look about her. He noticed the way she shyly glanced around the room when the teacher began passing out the lab materials and the way her eyes quickly returned to the surface of her lab table once she realized she was the only one without a lab partner. She had to be new, right?

He nudged Chad, who was already beginning to nod off again, with his elbow, "Hey, Chad?"

"Hmm?" Chad mumbled, opening his drowsy eyes.

His curious sapphires had yet to leave hers, and they refused to do so as he questioned his best friend. "Who's that girl in the front row?"

Chad's tired brow narrowed as he scanned over the rows of students, his chin still resting in his palm, finally landing on the brunette Troy had been asking about. "Who, the new chick?"

Ah, so she was new. "Yeah, her," Troy confirmed with a nod, his gaze still on the beauty as the teacher laid their share of supplies in front of them.

"I don't know, man. Her name's like, Isabella or some shit like that," he answered in a tone that suggested to Troy that he could care less. He finally glanced up at his friend to see where his gaze was pointed at. "Why?"

Troy finally broke his stare at Chad's confused voice, looking down to see his friend watching him with a weird look on his dark face. "Nothing," he answered quickly, clearing his throat and trying to sound nonchalant. "I've never seen her before. She's kinda hot."

Chad turned his head towards Isabella and wrinkled up his nose. "I guess……" he somewhat agreed with a shrug, "She's kind of quiet though." Troy was surprised by Chad's reaction. Didn't he have eyes? Couldn't he see how gorgeous she was?

"I suggest you boys save gossip time for later and start working on your lab," they were startled by Mrs. Carroccio as her bony hands grasped their muscular shoulders, seeking attention from the slacking boys. "Not the best way to start my class Mr. Bolton," she tsked with a shake of her head.

"Sorry, we'll get to work now," Troy promised picking up the lab packet as the teacher began to make her way around the other lab tables.

"Stupid old bitch," Chad mumbled under his breath, not too happy with the idea of having to stand up from his comfortable position. Troy rolled his eyes and his friend stretched out his buff arms while glancing over his shoulder to peer at the lab. "What are we even doing, dude?"

"Um," Troy looked down at the lab for the first time and his eyebrows narrowed in confusion, "It says we're burning money, dude."

"Huh?" Chad asked, snatching the packet from Troy, the idea capturing his attention. What a miracle, science had finally managed to get his attention. However, something entirely different still had a hold on Troy's attention, and he let his eyes return to that something as Chad read through the lab. He watched the way her delicate body moved while completing the ending steps of the experiment. She dipped the dollar bill in a solution in the beaker on the edge of her lab table. Her unpolished fingers curled around tongs, using them to pick up the bill and move it away from her liquid-filled beaker. She was so focused; he could tell by the way she bit her pink lip and the way her eyes never left her unfinished experiment. She moved quickly and with grace, as if this was something she did every day. Troy smiled, it was cute. She lit a match and the spark sputtered to life in her fingers. She moved the flame to the bill and placed it on the tip. A slow fire began burning on the bill still held in the tongs. Then something magical happened.

She smiled.

It was the first time he had ever seen her smile. She had yet to do so since he had walked into the classroom. He had never seen anything like it and it made him suck in a sharp breath. It was brighter than the flame dancing on the bill, it lit the room. It lit his heart. It was absolutely perfect. She was perfect.

Troy suddenly felt a hard nudge on his shoulder, snapping him out of his own little world that only involved him and her. "Dude, I need your help!" Chad insisted in an irritated voice.

Troy shook his head. This was ridiculous. He was letting some girl he had never even met, whose last name he didn't even know, completely take over him. Was he crazy? He had never even talked to her before, so he should certainly not be feeling this way. "Right, what are we doing?"

"Well I already made the alcohol solution while you were in lala land, but we're supposed to put the money in it and then light it on fire. I guess it doesn't really burn the money though, just the alcohol, so it's supposed to go out after like a minute. Still a fucking waste of time if you ask me," Chad said, already soaking the dollar in the solution.

"Okay, so now what do we do?" Troy asked, impressed that Chad was taking charge of a chemistry assignment but also annoyed that he couldn't keep staring at Isabella.

"Um, light the match then let's burn this shit!" he exclaimed, holding up the bill with the tongs as he waited for Troy to complete the experiment.

He let out a chuckle, "Sure man, let's do it." He rubbed the match across the back of its package several times until it finally sputtered to life. His arm moved towards the bill, ready to set it in flames. But then he heard something. Something he had never heard before.

His chestnut locks whipped towards the source of the foreign sound that came from the same direction he had been focused on all period. There she was, standing at her lab table, the teacher patting her on the back for a job well done. She had giggled. That was the sound he had heard and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever-

"TROY! FUCK!"

Troy was suddenly thrown back by his flailing friend. He stumbled backwards and the lit match fell from his hand. His shocked eyes whirled back towards Chad………..

Holy shit. Chad was on fucking fire!

Troy must have let his hand slip while he was distracted, lighting the end of Chad's long sleeve in the process. Chad was frantically waving his arm wildly in the air, screaming as the flames began to spread up his arm. "SHIT!"

The entire class was now gaping at the last lab row, where the boy was still shaking his arm to and fro, his panicked eyes bugging out of his head. A panic swept through the room and shouts and screams were thrown into the chaos.

"OH MY GOD!"

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"SOMEBODY HELP HIM!"

Mrs. Carroccio sprang into action, sprinting to the back of the room. She pulled Chad by his other arm that wasn't in flames, hurling the screaming boy into the back corner where the emergency shower and eyewash station was. She pulled the yellow handle, sending a downpour of water over the burning teenager and triggering the fire alarm in the process. The shrill bell rang throughout the entire school and the students began to shuffle around, confused and panicked.

Troy stood where he had stumbled back, completely in shock. He had just lit his best friend on fire. Shit.

"Bolton, behind you!" a deep voice shouted.

What? Troy turned around, seeing nothing. But then a thick smoke registered in his brain and he looked down. Fuck! His match had landed on a stray piece of paper on the white ground, lighting that on fire too. His instincts took over and he desperately began stomping at the small fire. "SHIT! SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" he shouted. The heat was beginning to seep through the sole of his gym shoe, but he had to put the fire out. He'd already destroyed everything else today. "SHIT!" His stomps increased with speed and a nervous sweat broke out on his forehead. The fire sputtered and went out beneath his feet, leaving behind a pile of ashes.

Troy sighed, it was finally out. His brilliant blues looked up and he was slammed back by the penetrating stare. She was looking at him, she had been watching. She looked confused and scared for the boy under the spray of the shower. Her chocolate eyes were filled with concern. Troy rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed that this was the way he had captured her attention for the first time. Shit.

"Everybody leave!" Mrs. Carroccio shouted over the ringing of the alarm. "You can leave the school through the exit at the end of the hall! Mr. Bolton, come help me with Chad! EVERYONE, MOVE! HURRY!"

Troy looked towards the back of the room where his friend's arm was held out stiffly in front of him, his face contorted in agony and pain. This was all his fault. The panic was beginning to wear off, but it was being replaced with a different feeling. He felt like shit.

He glanced back at the beauty once more. She was moving towards the door, sending back concerned glances. Her eyes locked with Troy's once more before quickly looking away, as if just looking at him would cause her to combust into flames as well. He ran a hand down his distressed face, letting out a groan before making his way to his injured friend.

What a great way to make a first impression.

* * *

**Please, please review! I recently noticed my anonymous reviews were disabled, which really made me pissed at myself! So now everyone can review! I'm excited to see if more people review!**

**Love Always, **

**FreakyMathGirl =)**


	4. Dirty Little Secret

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical or John Tucker Must Die.**

**So I haven't been in much of a writing mood lately. I don't know why, my muse just left me for this one. So I've decided updates will be every Monday. This way, I will always have weekends to work on chapters when I'm super busy. The beginning of the school year until around November is always my busiest time of the year, so I hope updates will always be on time. If I feel like updating sooner, we'll just see how it goes. But you can usually expect one on Mondays unless I'm super busy. That way even if I'm not in a writing mood I'll be motivated to write. And I get my laptop back on Friday so I don't have to sneak around to write anymore! Which means quicker updates!**

**Sorry if this chapter is a lot like the movie, but I couldn't see a way to make it any different and I felt like these scenes were important. Like I said, sometimes it will be extremely similar, but next chapter you can expect something different. I'm personally excited for it! Please review! I got the lowest response so far last time, which kind of brought me down! I hope it's better this time around because I really need to know how you guys feel about this story, even if it is negative. I sincerely appreciate any advice or criticsm. Enjoy!**

**(P.S. Was anyone else really bummed _runninequalslife_ left us, even if it is only for a little while (hopefully), today? I cried!)**

* * *

Monday mornings. Most high school students hated them. It meant waking up early after an entire weekend of partying and sleeping in. It meant another five days of tests, assignments, and boring classes. It basically meant another week of hell. But not for John Bolton.

John Bolton embraced Mondays with open arms. He would never admit it to anyone, but the truth was, he loved school. It wasn't the fifty minute classes or the assorted teachers that taught them. His love didn't stem from the cafeteria food or the feeling of getting a good grade. No, it had nothing to do with that. What he truly loved was the power.

Some might say that principals were the head of the school, but anyone who attended East High could tell you that that was a lie. John had a greater influence over the students than any teacher or administrator could ever hope to have. He may not have been able to hand out detentions or pull students out of class, but he did have one thing that no other staff member could ever touch. He had people's respect. Most students respected him more than all of the teachers combined. Not only did he have their respect, but they envied him. They worshiped him and hung on his every word. And this all equaled power.

How could he ever bring himself to hate a place that provided him with so much authority? He could never hate coming to school when stepping through the double doors was like entering his own personal kingdom with loyal subjects at every corner. If people considered East High hell, then he was the devil. He could feel his supremacy radiating off the white walls whenever he would stride through the halls during passing periods. He noticed how everyone would look his way when he entered a room. He got a thrill out of running up and down the gym, watching his team obey every instruction he threw at them. He loved the way people loved him. It was what he lived for.

John was truly thankful for everything he was blessed with. Most people would never have the kind of authority he commanded, and he didn't take it for granted because he wasn't naïve. He knew this kind of power wouldn't last forever. This was his senior year, and in the fall he would be heading off to some other school where no one knew him. It would never be the same in college, where there were too many people to command. He wouldn't have all these years of building his reputation to fall back on there. He was lucky, really lucky to have what he had. So he was going to make the most of it and put his whole heart into things. That was why he loved coming to school and enjoying the time he had.

This Monday morning would be different, but no one could tell. Today would be the start of a revolution but the distracted teenagers couldn't see that as John Bolton entered the school. The common area was buzzing with students flitting from table to table, seeing which clubs were offering what for the week. John, with his best friend Tommy in tow, was greeted by a mass of his teammates who each gave him a manly handshake. Greetings were thrown at him from each direction, and he gave a dazzling smile and a quick nod to each one he saw. "Yo, Bolton!" he heard from the student store before one of the workers threw a free water bottle his way. He caught it with a, "Thanks, man!" and took a swig from the clear plastic, continuing to make his way through the common area.

He smiled when he saw her. Another thing he loved about school was the girls. John Bolton _always_ had lots of girls, and there was one of them just yards away selling pep rally tickets at a grey table. She looked incredibly hot that morning wearing her red and white cheerleading uniform with 'Wildcats' written across her chest in loopy lettering. Her short skirt revealed her mile long, sun kissed legs and her blonde hair was set free in slight waves down her back. God, he loved cheerleaders.

He closed the distance between them with a few short strides and pulled his leather wallet out of his pocket. He slipped out three bills and handed the money to the cheerleading captain, leaning in close to her ear to whisper a sweet hello. Sharpay smiled at him and handed him the pink ticket, knowing the only reason he had purchased one was so he could have a brief moment of closeness with her. He took the ticket, shot her one last smile, and continued his way down the large room. Say hello to girlfriend number one. Check.

The second he turned his head away from the blonde beauty, his eyes were welcomed with the sight of girl number two. She was leaning over a similar table, talking with the fellow members of her teen activist club, a petition right in front of her. John couldn't help but admire the position she was in as he made his way towards her. Her palms were resting on the hard surface of the table, the rest of her body leaning away, causing her back to curve and her butt to stick out in the air. God, he loved slutty teen activists.

He lightly slapped her ass when he reached her, and she let out a low giggle. She had practically been asking for it anyways with her ass sticking out in the air like that. "Hey," Kelsi greeted in a seductive voice, as she often did whenever in John's presence. He grinned while picking up the blue pen on the table and signed her petition for Chicks for Chicks, as if he really gave a crap. He shot her a smile before leaving and she mouthed bye in his direction. Say hi to girlfriend number two. Check.

Ah, and there she was, conveniently placed at the end of the large room at her bake sale tables. She was next to a friend with wavy brown hair, but Taylor was far more stunning than that plain girl. Her short black bob swung around as she handed out cupcakes to the students who paid for them, thanking each one with a perfect white smile. "Hi," she said with a smile reserved specially for John Bolton when he stopped in front of the table.

"Hey, got something sweet for me?" he asked, although just looking at her was sweet enough.

"Of course," she answered, picking up a cupcake with chocolate frosting. She gave him a sly glance, dipping her dark finger into the mound of creamy frosting. She raised the finger to him, inviting him to taste the sweetness of the chocolate. It never ceased to amuse him how unbelievably sexy she could be when she wanted to. Did he ever mention how much he loved smart girls?

He quickly looked around, confirming no one of significance was watching, before finally leaning forward and slowly taking his time to rid her finger of the icing with his wet tongue while looking into her dark eyes the entire time. He smiled one last time at her and walked towards the halls so he could head for his locker. Say good morning to girlfriend number three. Check.

After grabbing his books for first period, John headed towards the stairs, greeting more people as he made his way. Stepping onto the white stair, he saw his old gym teacher he had had as a freshman, Coach Claypool. She was a big woman, with greasy black hair and an equally oily red face. She also had a tendency to wobble around instead of actually walking. But she had always been nice to John so he gave her a smile when he passed her on the stairwell. She smiled back as he passed her by, but he soon heard a loud groan and turned to find the large coach sprawled facedown at the bottom of the steps. She looked unconscious, as if she had fainted or something. "Shit!" John exclaimed as he made his way back down the stairs to the teacher who was obviously in need of assistance.

"Coach Claypool!" a feminine voice from behind him shouted. He looked around to see a blonde girl in a blue sweater rushing down the stairs, concern filling her eyes as she witnessed the unmoving coach. Hmm, she was kind of cute. She knelt beside John, gently rubbing the coach's back. "What happened?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I passed her on the stairs and then she just kind of groaned and collapsed." John glanced at the girl's backside as she leaned further over the coach to check her pulse. Hmm, nice ass. "What do you think happened?"

The girl had a panicked expression on her heart-shaped face. "I'm not sure, but I think she might have had a heart attack," she breathed out, worry laced in her tone. "I'm gonna call an ambulance," she said before pulling out her black razor.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," he distractedly agreed, his eyes focused on the deep v of her sweater where her exposed cleavage was while she was busy with her phone. "I'm John Bolton," he said, holding out a hand.

She looked away from her phone to see his hand held out. She took his hand, giving it a wary shake, her focus still on the sick coach. "Caroline Williams. Nice to meet you."

He gave her his million-dollar smile with their hands still connected, all thoughts of Coach Claypool out of his head. "Nice to meet you too."

Arrive at school, say hello to oblivious three girlfriends, give Coach Claypool a heart attack, and flirt with hot new girl he just met all before first period. Check.

***

"Alright, girls! Coach Claypool's in the hospital, so we're combining all first period gym classes!" Coach Naff's loud voice boomed across the large gym of East High. A muffled groan rose throughout the group. Gym first thing on a Monday morning was not particularly a favorite among teenage girls, and Coach Naff was rumored to work girls the hardest out of all the gym teachers. "Yes, I know! We all hate each other, don't we?"

"No, we hate you!" Coach Naff rolled her green eyes as a couple girls from the group of fifty snickered at the rude comment. Ungrateful teenagers. Retirement couldn't come soon enough.

"We're playing volleyball today ladies! Teams of six! Heather, Elizabeth, Angelina, Ashley, Nicole, and Lynzee on this side!" She shouted, pointing to each of the girls and then one side of the net. "Richelle, Brieanne, Taylor, Kelsi, Sharpay, and……. what's your face on this side!"

Gabriella stood up from the hard bleacher, "Gabriella. My name's Gabriella," she quietly declared in the coach's direction, but Coach Naff had already begun walking across the gym to ref the game. In just a week and three days, this would be Gabriella's third month at East High and her gym teacher still didn't know her name. It was nothing she hadn't dealt with before.

She slowly moved her black sweatpant clad legs to her side of the volleyball court, taking the only position still open in the middle back, right next to cheerleading captain Sharpay Evans who was getting ready to serve. Gabriella looked up at the other thirty-eight girls still seated in the bleachers as she placed her arms in an awkward plank. Hopefully she would go unnoticed by them too. Volleyball wasn't really her best sport. Then again, she didn't exactly have a best sport to begin with.

While Sharpay waited for the coach's whistle to signal the start, several small conversations were being picked up amongst the girls across the gym, but the closest one to Gabriella was right there on the hardwood court between Taylor McKessie and Brieanne Schnitzler. She could clearly hear their gossip considering Taylor was in the position right in front of her. Brieanne, a starter on the varsity volleyball team, bent her long pale legs into a practiced ready position, "So how come you didn't go to Ellen's party Friday?"

Gabriella knew why. It was because she had spent the entire night shoving her tongue down John Bolton's throat while she had to watch in disgust. Taylor bounced on the balls of her feet, preparing herself for the first serve to go over. "Um, if I tell you, you have to promise not to say a word to anybody," she said as she bit her plump lip, her tone completely serious as she looked at her brown-haired friend.

Gabriella leaned in closer, now fully intrigued in their conversation. Was Taylor going to tell her friend the truth that she was dating East High's top guy? If she did and Gabriella could hear it, then surely all the other girls within earshot could hear her confession as well. Two of those girls also happened to be dating John Bolton. And Gabriella could only assume that if they were to find out about the secret while in the same room, the results would be anything less than pretty.

"Um…. Okay?" Brieanne agreed, although it was more of a question than verification that she would indeed keep her mouth shut. She was unsure of what could have the braniac so secretive, she wasn't normally one to keep things from her friends.

"No, I'm serious," Taylor insisted with a stern look. "No one can find out about this."

"Okay, okay! Just tell me already!" Brieanne finally agreed with a slight laugh. She wasn't taking this too seriously because her years of friendship with Taylor had taught her that it was probably nothing. Maybe she had failed a test and felt the need to study all weekend. It was something Taylor would do.

"Alright," Taylor sucked in a deep breath and leaned closer to her friend, cupping her chocolate hand around her mouth in an attempt to shield her words from everyone else. "I'm dating John Bolton," she said to her friend in a whisper, a very loud whisper. Gabriella's eyes widened. It was okay, maybe the other girls hadn't even been paying attention…….

_PING!_

'Or not,' Gabriella thought as she watched the volleyball ricochet off of Taylor's head. Taylor's hand flew up to the back of her short bob as her head spun in Sharpay's direction. "Hey, what the hell?!" she whined, glaring at the pink cheerleading captain. The entire gym of juniors and seniors was silent as the two gave each other the death glare. The two were from completely different social circles that typically did not willingly or peacefully intermingle with each other. Now everyone was left wondering what had possessed the popular blonde to slap the ball off of Taylor's head. Everyone, that is, besides Gabriella who was nervously observing right between them.

"Sorry," Sharpay innocently apologized with a shrug of her bony shoulders. "It slipped."

It was still quiet as Taylor registered this. Anyone who had witnessed the act could tell that it was no accident, but Taylor had been facing Brieanne and couldn't vouch for that herself. Since she was a reasonable person who used hardcore facts and evidence, she warily let it slide even though she had a feeling Sharpay wasn't entirely telling the truth. "Um… ok." She turned back towards the net and began bouncing on the balls of her Nike gym shoes in an attempt to forget the incident and reestablish a friendly atmosphere. "Let's play!" She turned to give Sharpay a smile and-

_PING!_

Gabriella let out a shocked gasp when the volleyball violently connected with Taylor's smooth face, the force and surprise of the impact knocking her with a _thud_ onto the gleaming hardwood floor. Just as she had expected, she could see what this was leading too. Sharpay wore a satisfied smirk while her eyes were screaming something foul at Taylor. Her light brown eyes had darkened with hate but they were also warning that she was ready for a challenge. She had just heard this girl state the unthinkable. It was a lie, it had to be. This nerd was just jealous of her because she was ten times prettier and way more popular. There was no way it could be true because John Bolton was hers and _only _hers. Anyone who said otherwise would have more coming their way than a simple volleyball to the head as far as she was concerned.

Taylor launched herself off the floor in fury. She had let it go the first time, but this obviously wasn't just a mistake anymore. She was beyond pissed now that this rich little snob thought she could randomly pelt volleyballs in her face for no apparent reason. She had done nothing to her and she expected to be treated with respect. If someone was going to treat her like this, she wanted answers now. She marched over to where the blonde was positioned with her hand on her cocked hip. "You know what, that was no accident!" Taylor yelled in the cheerleading captain's face, strongly jabbing her hand into her shoulder.

The entire gym was now watching as Sharpay slightly stumbled backwards. Fights between girls did not occur often at East High and the heat and malevolence between them was sure to lead to something worthy of tons of gossip. Sharpay regained her balance and her face contorted into an expression of pure rage as she shoved the loser back. "He's mine! Stay away from him!"

Taylor's oval jaw dropped. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Instead of letting her reasonable side rationalize this in her mind, she followed her animalistic instinct to being attacked take over and slapped the blonde bitch upside her pretty little head.

The two were leaning in to attack once more when a sudden force was propelled between them. Kelsi Neilson, with the abandoned volleyball under her pale arm, had lodged her petite frame between the two battling girls. She may not have been friends with either one, but violence was never the answer and this needed to be stopped. "Girls, girls please! Peace and love! No guy is worth fighting over!" She desperately preached as the two teens struggled to cut at the other, but they couldn't manage to break through the activist.

"John Bolton is mine!" Sharpay screeched above the grunts of the tangled girls. They were both stilled in disbelief. Taylor's jaw dropped while Kelsi gasped. Her pledge to peace was tossed out the window as her reaction propelled her to chuck the volleyball at the captain's taut stomach. Sharpay's polished fingers clasped around the ball as it connected with her abdomen. The force of the ball knocked the wind out of her, and she momentarily hunched over before stretching out again with a confused and pissed demeanor. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"I am dating John Bolton!" Kelsi declared, shocking both of the girls. Sharpay had had enough of this! There was no way in hell! She hurled the ball with all the strength she had at the activist's head. Kelsi was quicker though and ducked, leaving the ball to collide with Gabriella's forehead. Gabriella wished she had backed away as she fell to the floor, her head throbbing with the sting.

She stood up in time to see Taylor slap Kelsi who quickly fired back with a slap of her own. A shrill whistle blew in the background, freezing the girls in their spots. Coach Naff was rushing towards the girls, her stride showing she was to put up with no nonsense. She planted herself in the middle of the fuming enemies as they finally stood apart from each other. "Alright ladies, that's enough! Get back to the game!" She demanded in annoyance. She was so sick of these girls and they were lucky they weren't in any further trouble.

She was about to walk back to her ref position when Kelsi let out a furious growl and ran straight for Sharpay, pushing her with all the strength she could muster. Sharpay shrieked and charged for the environmentalist, shoving her straight into a dazed Gabriella. All hell broke loose as Kelsi bounced off of Gabriella's thin frame and into the coach's stocky one. Sharpay raced for the ball cart at the edge of the court, picking up the white balls within and wildly slinging them in every direction. A ball flung off of the coach's red face and flew into the side of Taylor's head. Everything was moving in one huge mad rush as Sharpay abandoned the dwindling ball supply and snatched at the bag full of balls next to the cart. In one powerful motion she whipped the heavy bag at Kelsi, hitting her side and nailing poor Gabriella in the stomach. She clutched at her sore abdomen while Sharpay continued to frantically swing the bag back at Kelsi, smacking her in the back. Kelsi let out a pained grunt and bent over, diving for a ball when she recovered. She chucked one at Sharpay, hitting her in the head while another one was aimed at Taylor. The ball hit both her and the coach as excited shouts went up from the onlookers. Chaos continued and shrieks were screamed as the activist aimlessly threw another ball that collided with Gabriella.

Kelsi scrambled through the mess of fumbling bodies and propelled herself towards the ball cart, a battle cry burning from her lips while Taylor was busy pulling at a yelping Sharpay's long locks. The short blue-eyed brunette throttled herself behind the ball cart, roaring as she drove the cart towards the tussling girls with Gabriella and the coach stuck in the middle. The cart roughly collided with the frazzled coach and Sharpay. They went flailing to the floor in a mass of limbs and screams, bringing down Gabriella and Taylor with them. The sudden brake of the cart sent Kelsi rocketing to the ground too, right next to the shrieking cheerleading captain.

An onslaught of slaps and scratches attacked the three battling girls. They clawed mercilessly at one another as if they were starving lionesses fighting to the death over a carcass. Coach Naff attempted to settle them, but all her efforts were earning her were bruises and scars of her own. Gabriella was huddled in the middle of the brawl, desperately trying to shield herself from the blood hungry savages. She cried out when she felt something brutally jab her in the ribs and something scratch at her arm. She couldn't take anymore of the screams and slaps, not when they were aimed at her.

As she lay there in the midst of the commotion, she suddenly found the answer. The coach was frantically shouting at the uncontrollable girls to stop when all the while the solution was dangling from her thick neck. Through the wall of waving arms, Gabriella grabbed for the glistening whistle. She sat up slightly and placed the silver metal between her lips, closing her eyes as she gave it one long blow. The high-pitched screech of the whistle abruptly silenced the quarreling girls as they looked towards the source of the sound. Gabriella had known this would happen as soon as Sharpay had served the first volleyball at Taylor's head, but it still amazed her how immature these girls were being over a stupid guy. Didn't they realize who was really to blame here? "This guy is cheating on all of you and instead of taking it out on him you're beating the shit out of each other?!"

"Language!" the coach scolded as she rose to her feet. Her anger was apparent through her bulging eyes and the veins that were popping out of her neck. Punishment was on its way. "Detention! You, you, you, and you!" She barked, pointing her dirty fingers at Kelsi, Sharpay, Gabriella and Taylor with each emphasis of the you.

She stomped to her office, completely done with this gym class even though the period was far from over. Gabriella's face flushed with anger. She was completely innocent of any crime, yet she had still payed the price because these petty girls were so wrapped up in John Bolton. Stupid girls! Stupid dumbass John Bolton! Hadn't enough players already screwed with her life? She huffed as she rose to her feet in an angry rush and stormed out of the gym, wanting to be anywhere besides with these foolish girls.

The girls watched as she marched out the doors, breathing deeply from their fight. "Who is that?!" Kelsi asked, still annoyed from what had just occurred. She climbed to her feet as well, making her way to the locker room to cool off some more.

"I don't know, Bella something!" Sharpay breathed out in an upset voice. She was still unnerved too. But what bothered her most as she walked away was that she had come into this gym thinking that John belonged to her, and now she was leaving wondering if she had been wrong. She was not one to be played. If someone dared to mess with Sharpay Evans, someone would pay.

Taylor was the only one left on the court now. She quickly got up and went her own way as well, confused and upset. She left knowing, along with everyone else in the gym, that one thing was abundantly clear.

John Bolton had a lot of explaining to do.


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT NOTE! PLEASE READ!**

I'm sorry that this isn't a new chapter. I really wish I could give you one right now, but I have some unfortunate news. I was in the middle of writing the next chapter when my computer decided to crash on me. My mother, in her motherly way, believed that she knows everything and therefore could fix my computer. One night, instead of admitting defeat, she declared that she was tired and would fix it the next day and placed my precious laptop with all of my files on it next to her bed. In the morning, she woke up, forgot it was there, STEPPED ON MY LAPTOP AND CRACKED THE SCREEN !!!! Obviously, I was very upset. This is why there have been no updates. The only other computer I can access is occupied by my sister 24/7 and is from the 1980's. I just recently got my laptop back about a week ago and am trying to redo all of the files that yes, I lost. I understand if some of you hate me for being such a lousy updater and decide to never read any of my stories ever again. But I really hope some of you are willing to give me a second chance and stick with me. If you do, updates should be coming soon because I just got on winter break yesterday. Thanks for reading and happy holidays to all of my favorite readers!

PeaceAndLove,

FreakyMathGirl =)


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